DENYING THE Opposition allegations that the State Government is anti-farmers as regards power supply situation, Energy Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya today promised that steps would be taken to ensure that farmers get at least six to eight hours of power supply per day.
Replying to a discussion on power supply situation in the State Assembly today, he also said the Government was thinking of providing single-phase power supply in rural areas after January 15 for the benefit of the students during examination time.
The Minister said the CM had assured that the Government funds were always available for providing electricity to farmers and, if the need arose to purchase power at very high rates, the Government would do so for the welfare of farmers.
The Minister also announced that every month a camp would be organised at distribution centre level to look into the complaints of the consumers regarding inflated power bills and that action would taken against any official found involved in illegal billing. This was in response to the issue of inflated bills taken up by numerous members of the Opposition during the discussion.
The Minister, however, said all this would not be possible unless illegal power consumption (power theft) was totally curbed and illegally conversion of single-phase power into three-phase was stopped. He called upon the MLAs to create public awareness in their constituencies to prevent power theft and illegal conversion of phase, which lead to break down of transformers.
Vijayvargiya said if power theft was curbed, it might also become possible to provide 12 hours of power supply per day and within two years, 24-hours uninterrupted supply might become a reality.
The Opposition also took the government to task regarding drastic reduction in subsidy to farmers and reported agreement with MP Electricity Regulatory Commission (MPERC) to scrap subsidy and irrational hike in power tariff.
Vijayvargiya said if power theft was curbed, it might also become possible to provide 12 hours of power supply per day and within two years, 24-hours uninterrupted supply might become a reality.
The Opposition also took the government to task regarding drastic reduction in subsidy to farmers and reported agreement with MP Electricity Regulatory Commission (MPERC) to scrap subsidy and irrational hike in power tariff.
Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi demanded that the subsidy be brought back to level of Congress regime or even higher. Replying to this, the Minister said categorically denied any agreement to fully scrap the subsidy. He conceded that the subsidy has been reduced and did not make any commitment on increasing it. As for the hike in power tariff, he said the Government had no role in it after the constitution of the MPERC.